Farmers representing 16 rural municipalities in southwestern Saskatchewan are researching ways to obtain an acreage payment for those who suffered losses due to drought.
They took on the task after separate meetings on Sept. 11 with provincial agriculture minister Mark Wartman and David Anderson, parliamentary secretary to federal agriculture minister Chuck Strahl.
The group calling itself the South West Drought Committee had asked for $25 per acre.
The 16 RMs have all declared themselves to be disaster areas because of the extremely dry conditions that led to early crop maturation, poor yields, poor quality and year-round gopher infestation. Pastures are in such bad condition that some ranchers have been feeding their cattle all summer.
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Allan Oliver, who farms near Aneroid, Sask., speaks for the committee. He said they were told there are no ad hoc programs and that the federal government has not yet set up its disaster relief program.
“The minister challenged us to come up with a delivery program to deliver an ad hoc $25 per acre payment, which would be fair and assure those who didn’t need it wouldn’t scoop it up,” Oliver said.
